Does anyone else get this?? I got this yesterday and it was worse than any time ive had them before! Normally you take a deep breath and it goes back to normal but this time it didnt and i had a bit of a panic and had to sit down as i came over a bit faint as though i was going to black out or something! :( I was in the co op at the time, so its a good job i didnt lol

Oh dear!! I hope you are ok Mel. Big {{{{{HUGS}}}}} to you!! xxx

I find I can get them worse at certain times of the month...

You should go and have a check over with the doctor though, sometimes it's nothing but you shouldn't ignore warning signs of anything else that might be happening.

I hope everything is OK :)

Thanks :) Im fine now, just that yesterday frightened me a bit, i did go to the doctors a couple of months back and he sent me for an ECG and everything on that was fine, i dont get them alot, or even on a regular basis, just wondered if they are quite common and if alot of people get them aswell, i dont know what causes it at all, i could be doing anything or nothing and il get them :)

Are you stressed about anything?  That's what sets me off.  I didn't know I got stressed and didn't connect the two

To be honest im always stressed! lol So yeah that could be why i get them, i didnt even think about that actually!

There you are then.  Need to learn how to relax.  I don't follow my own advice by the way :D  Sometimes though knowing what is causing it takes away some of the anxiety, because the palpitations in themselves are stressful.

Yes, and frightening! Feels like and makes you think your about to have a heart attack!

Has the Dr. checked out your thyroid activity?  Sometimes people get palpitations if their thyroid is over or under active!

Well, thats what happened to my mum, she gets them too and was sent for blood tests and she was found to have an under active thyroid i think, i get mixed up with the two, is there a certain age though where thats most common as im only 20, not sure whether that matters or not?! I havent been checked by the way, i just had the ECG.

My mum has thyroid problem, can never remember which way round but she is on tablets for rest of her life.  I have had this checked though and I'm ok.  Like lots of medical problems, it's as you get older you are more susceptable, however I don't think you can rule it out because of being younger. 

No, i dont think you can rule out most things these days by being younger, read in the paper not so long ago about a 17 year old who had breast cancer, poor girl! :(

An over active thyroid makes your heart race while an under active one makes everything slow down. If you suffer from an under active one you will take tablets for the rest of your life.I know cos I am a sufferer!

Thing is i get both, first my heart races so fast that it makes you wonder if its beating at all, that normally takes my breath away which is why i try and take deep breaths, then that usually calms it, then your heart just makes a huge thud and then stops then thuds again and again very slow until it goes back to normal, the thuding is only for a few seconds, but enough to make you stop what your doing, my mum must have an under active thyroid then as shes on tablets for life.

I've had them for years.  Had all the necessary tests etc.  My heartbeat raises to as much as 200 beats per minute and my whole body rocks, I lose all pulses and the most it's lasted for is 9 minutes.  When it slows back to 60/70 beats per second my heart stops for a nano second.  (That's not a technical term, I just can't remember what figure it was that the doctor told me!).  It really is quite frightening, I find it helps to puff my cheeks (which looks really stupid if you are out shopping), also drinking cold water helps.

Thanks :) 9 mins, thats a long time, mine usually last around 10/15 seconds, not long, but long enough!

I get them too. I feel a sort of heaviness in my chest, my heart slows down (I can feel it coming on and my husband's felt my pulse while it happens and can confirm) then gives a whacking great thump and everything's back to normal. It did it 4 times in 10 minutes once, and then not again for several months.

I've had ECGs and full blood tests run, but nothing shows up as being anything other than normal.

Wow, i bet that frightened you, 4 times in 10 mins!! :(

Not half! It's very scary when it happens. As you say, taking a deep breath or coughing can help instantly.

Havent tried coughing!! Il do that though next time :)

At least it isn't painful - just worrying. :)

Thats true! Just worried me when i came over a bit faint!

I often feel faint standing in the checkout queue anyway, and there aren't seats in shops like there used to be, are there?

Well, luckily i was at the customer service bit as we only had a couple of bits and there were a few seats just round the corner, glad they were, this was in the co op, but i think they took them away in the tesco we go in, not such a good idea!

Blues mum,

You could ask your doctor for a thyroid function test ;)  I was getting palpitations as you describe, it was an underactive thyroid.  I now take tablets to control it ;) 

I was going to mention coughing, as that is what I do. I find that if I'm more stressed it happens more often. :( My doctor gave me some anti-depressants, even though I wasn't depressed, as they help de-stress ;) I was on the smallest dose you can get and they helped a lot. Got a good nights sleep, too :D

Thanks guys, if i get another episode like i did the other day, il go back to my gp and have a word, thanks :)